Timeline | GLOCK USA > 1963 GLOCK KG is founded by engineer Gaston Glock. The company produces a variety of plastic and steel parts. > 1970s The first military products are developed and produced including field knives, training hand grenades and machinegun belt links. > 1980 GLOCK receives a formal invitation from the Austrian Army to develop a new service sidearm. GLOCK Ges.m.b.H is formed. > 1981 The revolutionary, semi-automatic GLOCK service pistol—with polymer receiver and new “Safe Action”® System—is born. In addition, production starts on a field knife with a saw. > 1982 Commissioned by the Austrian Army, GLOCK competes in a battery of comprehensive and crucial testing exercises against international competition. Contract awarded to GLOCK! > 1983 GLOCK delivers first order of 30,000, G17 9x19 pistols to the Austrian Army. Development of GLOCK spade begins. > 1984 The GLOCK G17 pistol became standard issue for the Norwegian Army, its first NATO member country, and deliveries begin to the Norwegian Army.

> 1985 Export marketing activities are intensified and the first subsidiary in the United States is formed. > 1986 The engineering, innovations, and durability of GLOCK pistols immediately capture the attention of both the U.S. law enforcement and commercial markets. > 1987 GLOCK develops the G18 "Select Fire" machine pistol—the smallest machine pistol in the world. Plant #2 in Ferlach/ Austria is inaugurated. > 1988 A second subsidiary is formed in Hong Kong to coordinate sales and marketing activities for Asia/Oceania. Production begins on the G19 Compact, and G17L Competition pistols. > 1989 The demand for GLOCK products increases exponentially and results in exports to more than 45 countries worldwide (special forces, police, and military). More than 350,000 pistols have been sold since 1982, and approximately 2,000 U.S. police departments are carrying 150,000 on duty. > 1990 A third subsidiary is formed in South America to coordinate sales and marketing activities for Latin/Central America and the Caribbean.

Production begins on the G22 and G23 .40 pistol models. Plant #1 is expanded in Deutsch-Wagram. > 1991 Production begins on the G20, 10mm Auto pistol, and the G21, .45 Auto pistol comes into series production by mid-year. > 1994 Production begins on the G24 and G24C, chambered in .40. > 1995 Production begins on the G25, .380 Auto. In addition, production begins on subcompact models; the G26, 9x19, and the G27, .40. > 1996 Production begins on the G28, .380 Auto. Also, the G17T is introduced-the training pistol for marking and target cartridges. > 1997 Production begins on the G29, 10mm Auto, and the G30, .45 Auto. Plus, work is completed on the extension of the GLOCK Production Hall #1 in Ferlach, while construction for the new headquarters in Deutsch-Wagram commences.

> 1998 Production begins on the .357, G31, G32, and G33 pistols, as well as compensated models G31C and G32C. In addition, production begins on the G34, 9x19, and the G35, .40. These models are designed in strict accordance with IPSC regulations. > 1999 Production begins on the “Slimline” model G36, .45 Auto, and the training pistol G17T AC, 7.8x21 caliber-now equalling 5 training models for different applications and environmental conditions. GLOCK presents the 2 millionth pistol at the Shot Show in Atlanta GA, USA. > 2000 Construction is completed on the new GLOCK headquarters in Deutsch-Wagram. > 2001 In response to some states’ laws, production begins on GLOCK models with integrated key locks. > 2002 Production begins on GLOCK Tactical Lights, and a complete product line of aiming and lighting modules—including visible and invisible lasers-is launched.

> 2004 GLOCK introduces complete pistol line—standard, compact, and subcompact—in .45 G.A.P., delivering decisive firepower. > 2006 Celebration of 20 Years of Perfection in the USA. > 2007 Production begins on the GLOCK SF (Short Frame) pistols in .45 Auto and 10mm Auto. GLOCK reaches a significant milestone by selling a total of 5 million pistols worldwide. > 2009 Production begins on GLOCK Gen4 pistol models in several calibers and sizes. > 2010 Dedicated to continuously pursuing perfection in engineering and function, GLOCK introduces the Gen4 pistol in the G17, G19, G26, G31, G22, G23, G27, G35, and G37 models. > 2011 GLOCK celebrates its Silver Anniversary—25 Years of Perfection in the USA.

Gun Imports in 2010 - The Firearm BlogThe Firearm Blog Gun Imports in 2010 Tags: handguns , industry , new , rifles The BATFE have published a list of the top countries which exported firearms to the USA and how many gun were imported from them. Most of these countries have only one, two or three major firearm manufacturers, so it is not hard to figure out how many guns these manufactures exported. Note: Many of the companies listed below also manufacture firearms in the USA. Some have been known to export US-manufactured guns to Europe. Brazil: Taurus/Rossi. Austria: Glock and Steyr. I am going to make an educated guess and say that at least 70% of those pistol imported are Glocks. Glocks are selling well! The rifles would be Steyrs. Italy: A number of companies. The bulk would be from the Beretta family (which includes Benelli). Germany: H&K, SIG & Walther [Thanks Jason] Croatia: Springfield Armory is selling a lot of XD pistols! Turkey: A lot of firearm manufactures. A good proportion of those shotguns would from Beretta owned companies.

Canada: I have no idea who is exporting rifles to the USA. Maybe its a typo? Maybe a large undisclosed purchased of Colt Canada firearms for allied forces in the Middle East? Maybe the Canadians decided to send all their Lee Enfield to collectors in the USA. Apparently Savage makes rimfire rifles in Canada [ Thanks James ] Russia: Mostly Saiga rifles from Izshmash. I am surprised, I thought Russia would be exporting a lot more. Argentina: Bersa pistols. China: A few countries import Remington 870-clones (ironically the list includes H&R, a subsidiary of Remington). Who is importing rifles? It must only be either a government, defense contractor or military organization. Romania: Soviet era rifles and handguns? Japan: Weatherby, some Winchesters. Philippines: Rock Island Armory and a few other companies. Serbia: Zastava. Czech Republic: The majority from CZ. Czechpoint is a smaller company that imports a variety of Czech-made firearms. Belgium: FN Herstal. Finland: Tikka / Sako (owned by Beretta). UK: I am not sure who is importing handguns. I suspect it’s a government-related transfer.

There are a number of rifle manufactures. Accuracy International is one of the larger companies. Spain: Star and Astra. Possibly includes imports from CVA and Traditions who make muzzleloaders. [Thanks Jon] Ukraine: Soviet-era rifles? Some Browning-branded shotguns [Thanks Jon] Bulgaria: Arsenal. Poland: Collector guns like the Polish PPS-43C. Israel: IWI pistols. Switzerland: KRISS and a few other firms. If you notice any errors or omissions in the above list, please let us know in the comments. Founder and Dictator-In-Chief of TFB. A passionate gun owner, a shooting enthusiast and totally tacti-uncool. Favorite first date location: any gun range. Steve can be contacted here . Advertisement Ah, thanks James. I had no idea and I own a recently made Savage rimfire. Samopal Savage only started selling rimfire rifles when they acquired Lakefield Arms in Lakefield, ON. All of their rimfire rifles have always been made in Canada. I just learned this a few months ago. Interesting considering I owned a Lakefield .22 when I lived in Canada. 🙂 Jon The numbers are weird.

For example, most Brownings are either made in Portugal from some level of Belgian parts or made in Japan, yet I’m sure they sold more than 1,000 Browning shotguns in 2010. I don’t believe Brazil made that many shotguns either, Stoegers are the only mass market brand I can think of. Taurus/Rossi make the Circuit Judge .410 shotguns. Rog Also Rossi makes cheap single shot break-open shotguns. Cashel this is the sort of thing i follow this blog for, interesting, non-political info that i would not find elswhere 🙂 Jason Walther is also in Germany. The popular P22 pistol may be a portion of what is imported. Steve Good point. S&W import Walther. Jon Spain would include CVA and Traditions … If this list includes muzzleloaders. I believe those American companies import their muzzle loaders from a Spanish company. Steve Good point, but I am not sure if muzzleloaders are included in the BATFE figures. They are usually treated differently. Jon I was wrong. CVA and Traditions apparently import the muzzle loader components, and assemble them in the US facilities.

Sally scrotpuncher Romainia has been importing alot Of their tokarevs pistols lately. I bet all those dracos count as pistols too. I bet the Italian pistol number is lower than Austria too because beretta makes alot of pistols in america vs all glocks for us market being made in Austria. Jon Mac The UK handguns are probably Section 5 dealers selling historic handguns that we can’t own in our own country, to a country where you can 🙁 Bob Japan would be Howa, which is who Weatherby would be importing from. They sell under their own name also. Legacy Intn’l is the importer. Maigo Wow, that is a LOT of XD Peter Japan: Howa (Weatherby), Browning Rifles and Shotguns produced by Miroku Phillipines: Armscor (RAI is a brand) Milo Canadian rimfires are made in the old Lakefield Arms plant. Miroku Japan also produces long guns branded under the Winchester name. I am curious to what handguns were imported from Russia considering there is a ban on handguns from there?!? Mike M. Toz-35M free pistols, I’d bet.

CEOofEVIL I too would like to know what handguns where imported by whom from Russia. There are a few current handguns over there I wish would be imported for the public! Other Steve Revolver EXport!! I want a modern top break 357. Ken I wonder if the shotgun imports from Russia include the “Remington Spartan” line. If so, that’s even fewer Saiga shotguns making it into the US. The shotguns from Brazil might include Rossi. pro.0s sphinx from switzerland? MarcW Could be the case, KRISS announced in 2011 that they wanted to get a hold of the US market with a few basic models of Sphinx pistols. Hudson I bought a used Cimarron coach gun and it was made in “PRC” (China), so maybe they make other cowboy clones, sort of like a crappy Uberti. Anthoni814 Springfield has it’s 1911 parts forged in Brazil. The dust cover on the 1911’s should say imbel Other Steve Only 3708 Siagas could have been brought in from Russia? That’s not even counting those fancy non-Siaga shotguns.

I wonder who many in 2011 and 2012? Now that the ban scare has been silenced. I really doubt the price is ever going to come back down. Glad I got my S12 for $450 when I did. Nice gun, but not worth the 1000+ they were getting. I want a mp412 rex damn it! Its such a cool 357 top break revolver SKSlover Don’t forget all those WASRs! James Campbell For sure, I’ll wager there were a bunch more of those imported here than the PSL! 🙂 Chase With respect to Spain, doesn’t “Astra” just mean “Star?” Are these actually the same company? Tinkerer ASTRA and STAR were two different firearms manufacturers from Spain -the operative word being: “were”. Those two companies went under back in the mid-1990’s. Besides ASTRA and STAR, there were the Llama pistols and revolvers -Llama did too go into bankruptcy years ago. Part of those import figures might be from vintage firearms, but I suspect the most are from a small company in Barcelona that caters to the IPSC crowd: SPS-DC Custom.

They use and export Makarovs and Arcus 98s. Jacob It’s odd that Brazil is the biggest exporter but domestic gun possession is basically illegal. You’d think those two would conflict. Lance Glock and Taurus and Beretta top 3 again. PCP Quite a surprise to see Brasil at the top of the list considering the crap domestic market. Is IMBEL included in those numbers? They don´t export whole guns as ar as I know, but they do make the frames and slides for the 1911 line from Springfield if I’m not mistaken. Zermoid I thought the whole gun was made there, but the frame is definitely made in Brazil as that’s where the Imbel marking is. W you are correct with the Springfield 1911 frames and slides. the whole pistols arent assembled there, though it is my understanding the custom variants are 100% made in the US. Noir Ukraina: Molot Vepr (“better” AKs). james quantity-wise, i’d say the XD/XDm are out selling other manufacturers.. Mike W.

“China: A few countries import Remington 870-clones (ironically the list includes H&R, a subsidiary of Remington). Who is importing rifles? It must only be either a government, defense contractor or military organization.” Is H&R a, “country”? Should that read, “A few companies import….”? Komrad You can import sporting shotguns from China, it is only rifles and handguns that are banned from import. It kinda sucks that we can’t get any of those cheap guns. 543 TO ALL THOSE WHO BUY CHINESE SHOTGUNS OR THINK IT SUCKS THAT CHINESE SMALL-ARMS ARE BANNED FOR U.S. IMPORT Why would you want to buy Chinese made NORINCO handguns and rifles when the same state owned company supplies the 107/122 mm rockets to the Taliban that are targeting US Military bases and killing U.S. soldiers and have in the past in Iraq by other groups. I came across a lot of recent manufactured Chinese Norinco made Type 69 RPG’s and clone AK’s when I was there.

No American should support a Chinese small-arms company that has no problems selling weapons that are killing/maiming American soldiers as we speak. Never mind that Nornico is the main supplier of Sudan and even keeps supplying them even though those weapons are being used to perpetrate a genocide in Darfur. A cheap price isn’t worth surrendering my ethics plus I want to support as much as I can U.S. manufacturing and U.S. workers. Dave H I know Polish surplus P-64 pistols (9x18mm caliber) are pretty popular because they’re cheap (about $180 from the usual surplus sources) and accurate. I believe IO currently imports them. A rush of them became available near the end of summer. Komrad J&G Sales has them for $150. Although I don’t own one personally, I hear tell that they are nearly ideal CC guns, especially at that price. I suggest anyone looking for a CC pistol at least consider a P64. Dave H The P-64 is an option for carry, but there are pluses and minuses. Since they’re surplus any given gun may need some work to make it reliable enough for carry.

The 9x18mm cartridge is somewhere between the .380 and the 9x19mm in power, and the mag holds only 6 rounds. (A Ruger LCP holds as many, but is much smaller.) Some people want more punch. The DA trigger pull is substantial (18-20 lbs) although SA is quite light. One advantage some owners claim is that if they ever do have to use their P-64 for defense and it gets confiscated by law enforcement, they’re not out $500. Lance 9mm Makarov is a decent weapon trust me it in Russian hands killed alot of Muslim terrorist in Afghanistan and Chechnya. While yes 9x19mm Is a bit more powerful it dose enough to kill an opponent especially with HP ammo. W The Makarov is a outstanding and safe concealed carry weapon. Given that 380 and even 9mm are more popular in the US, those calibers are only marginally more powerful than the Russian cartridge.

I like 9x18mm because it is cheap 🙂 The same criticisms of the 9x19mm can be refuted also with the fact this “anemic” little cartridge has killed hundreds of thousands. Its about shot placement. “Speed is Fine, Accuracy is Final is the motto I adopted when it comes to combat marksmanship. The reason is simple; the only way to guarantee ending a gunfight in your favor is accurate hits on target – fast misses don’t cut it.” -Larry Vickers- Arthur Firearm posession isn’t quite illegal in Brazil, I know ’cause my dad has a Beretta .22… But I’m surprised to see Brazil is the top importer! :O Zermoid Springfield Armory 1911A1’s are made (or at least were) made in Brazil by Imber. I have one and it’s very good quality workmanship IMO, I bought it used and the only problem I have had is extractor needed adjustment. Lance Komrade is right On;ly Chinese shotguns are allowed after 97. Ukraine does NOT sell firearms to civilians in the US. The list forgets Bulgarian Makarov and Arcus 98 pistols which Century arms imports.

Romania is forgotten which makes WSAR 1 2 AKM/74 style rifles. Mike LaForge Japan has New-SKB shotguns as well. W I wish the numbers for Russia and Brazil were switched around… Gene Carmack I am not sure about current production but at one time Browning firearms were built in Japan. Adam Let’s not forget that people lawfully import/export their own firearms to/from Canada. Walker In Canada we have para making handguns so I doubt that only 5 made it to the US James Campbell I thought that Para had moved it’s operation to the States. Is that not the case? Astra and Star are out of business, so they would not be importing from Spain. As many have said, many Browning rifles are made in Japan Dan Hewitt Winchester imports some rifles from Russia. matty I suspect those UK pistol imports were mostly collectibles – one at least was a Purdey Howdah with my name on it. Ray P If blackpowder firearms are included in the data, then Italy’s numbers would include products by Pietta & Uberti. Salient Quite surprised FN Herstal and H&K/SIG/Walther aren’t selling more pistols with all their military publicity.

Guess the Glock, XD and S&W M&P line is just too dominant. Stefan Couldn’t it be that those companies have State-side manufacturing plants or at least have sold licenses to produce their wepons to US-based companies? W stefan, you are correct. H&K, SIG, and Walther cannot fairly compete against US companies (which explains why they are more expensive) due to utterly ridiculous import laws. These laws also stifle innovation and new designs… Oleg Ukraine probably exports VEPR . You can find them for sale in the U.S. Lance Sorry but that weapon is rare in Ukraine nope never imported to the US. Chatterbot Sugel The first “rapid firing” firearms were usually similar to the 19th century Gatling gun, which would fire cartridges from a magazine as fast as and as long as the operator turned a crank. Eventually, the “rapid” firing mechanism was perfected and miniaturized to the extent that either the recoil of the firearm or the gas pressure from firing could be used to operate it, thus the operator needed only to pull a trigger (which made the firing mechanisms truly “automatic”).

Automatic rifles such as the Browning Automatic Rifle were in common use by the military during the early part of the 20th century, and automatic rifles that fired handgun rounds, known as submachine guns, also appeared in this time.

threebeee, bill anyone know the number of guns produced in the us?…bill Scott According to the 2010 manufacturing & export put out by the ATF, in 2010 there were: 2,258,450 pistols made – less 80,041 exported 558,927 revolvers made – less 25,286 exported 1,830,556 rifles made – less 76518 exported 743,378 shotguns made – less 43,361 exported 67,929 “miscellaneous” firearms made – less 16,771 exported For a total gross of 5,459,240 produced, less 241,977 exported, plus 2,839,997 imported, for total net sales of new firearms equaling 8,057,260 in 2010.

543 TO ALL THOSE WHO BUY CHINESE SHOTGUNS OR THINK IT SUCKS THAT CHINESE SMALL-ARMS ARE BANNED FOR U.S. IMPORT Why would you want to buy Chinese made NORINCO handguns and rifles when the same state owned company supplies the 107/122 mm rockets to the Taliban that are targeting US Military bases and killing U.S. soldiers and have in the past in Iraq by other groups. I came across a lot of recent manufactured Chinese Norinco made Type 69 RPG’s and clone AK’s when I was there. No American should support a Chinese small-arms company that has no problems selling weapons that are killing/maiming American soldiers as we speak. Never mind that Nornico is the main supplier of Sudan and even keeps supplying them even though those weapons are being used to perpetrate a genocide in Darfur. A cheap price isn’t worth surrendering my ethics plus I want to support as much as I can U.S. manufacturing and U.S. workers. Lance The company is owned and run by Communist Red China to answer your question why. Thanks for your service.

W and people have made fun of me for not buying into the “cheap” Norinco SKS fad… it certainly changes your perspective when you are digging up the same Norinco weapons that were used against you as a soldier. mosinman i agree completely!!! and the fact that the PRC constantly oppresses thier people and imprison them for disagreeing, protesting ect. Tienanmen square is a prime example and its one of the reasons that i loathe buying chinese products. zardoz lol, not to mention of how the U.S. supplied the Taliban with all that stuff from Norinco in the 80s. W Since Russia supposedly imports that many rifles, It still baffles me why Russian Dragunovs bring a rediculous price in the United States. Nick SVDs and Tigrs are not exported from Russia anymore. It’s a shame, they would sell very well but the Russians don’t seem interested in exporting them.

Also, the Romanian imports are most likely all WASR 10/63 (7.62×39) WASR2 (5.45×39) and WASR 3 (.223) models as well as PSLs. W based of what i have heard and researched, the problem is US import regulations, specifically the ones dealing with Russia. I’m sure Izhmash would be in hog heaven importing firearms and semi-automatic copies to the US, due to a wide variety of reasons: privatization blues, the Russian military overstock on AK74’s, and lack of large numbers of customers. I would buy a Russian rifle…if they imported authentic ones to the states. Suburban Romania = WASR-10 variants, and that SVD-type thing they made. There may be 5.56mm and 5.45mm AK variants coming out of Romania, but I’m not willing to stake my life on it.

The Draco pistol is a Romanian import also – an AK-47 pistol that has become popular because it’s not too hard to convert to an SBR (short-barreled rifle) if you go through the NFA (National Firearm Act) process and get the tax stamp. WASR-10s are imported as low-cap rifles and converted to be 922(r) compliant and to take surplus AK-47 mags. Century Arms surely sells a crap-load of these, because it’s hard to find a cheaper AK variant. Stefan Probably stated in the 75 comments below. But Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft or more commonly known as SIG Sauer or these days Swiss Arms, sure sound like they come from Switzerland. Stefan Taking time to look it up, seems as if SIG started up a german company to handle their exports. Anyway, to add to the Swiss list, Sphinx and Brügge & Thomet at least are Swiss companies. I must say I was much surprised Switzerland did non end up higher on that list. I guess most of that is due to SIG selling from germany. Zermoid Canada imported 6 handguns???? Just 6????? Really?

Strange, were they custom makes? Who tools up a factory for 6 guns? Anybody got details on that? Did Para sell off the last of their Canadian stuff on January 2nd, and then bail? It did seem odd to me too. jamieb Zermoid, the could have made a couple thousand but only sold 6 in usa, rest went elsewhere. Steve d I would think the majority of Romanian imports would be wasrs and dracos Paralus I’d feel pretty certain that the split between Austria’s pistol imports is s lot higher than 70% for Glock. It is probably closer to 95%. 70% would be leave Glock with over 300000 pistols while leaving Steyr nearly 130000. I seriously doubt that steyr sells anywhere near that amount. If Glock sold 95%, that would be 409450 for Glock versus 21550. Even that seems like an implausible number for Steyr. I would think Steyr would be lucky to sell 5000 pistols in the US per year. That would be 1.16% of total pistol imports from Austria.

Zera Canada imports a single-digit number of handguns. What? Just…what? Six? I dunno how Canada handles its handgun legislation, but it doesn’t say anything good when the country apparently imports…six. Unless that were saying that the country produces such good handguns that only six people or less were stupid enough to import one – which I highly doubt. Samopal It’s not that Canada makes bad handguns, it’s just that they just don’t make many at all. In fact, Para was the only Canadian handgun-maker I knew of until they moved to the US. I’m sure there are a few small smiths around that make custom 1911s and the like, but that’s about it. Canada’s handgun laws aren’t that tight, and handgun ownership is high, but import laws are so lax that the Canadian market is flooded with handguns from all over the world. Firearm manufacturer has never been big in Canada and the market is dominated in all areas by imported guns. Ajay Dlask makes custom 1911’s and they are based out of B.C., it’s not a hugely known brand name, but they sell the odd 1911 part through Brownells.

Caseless It’s surprising Century Arms is only importing 35,000 WASRs a year. I guess the WASR kits without the receivers don’t count. CZ needs to do something either marketing/branding-wise, a la HS 2000/Springfield XD. 21,000 handgun imports a year is pathetic for a company whose CZ-75 is the most widely copied design in the world. Repeal that 1993 Clintonian Norinco import ban, so I can get my hands on a semi-auto QBZ-97 and some more reasonably priced steel cased ammo. Lance Never going to happen. US gun makers would ensure cheap guns would not enter the market Springfield Kimber being some who would lose there pants to cheaper M-14 and M-1911 imports like Canada has. The QZB-97 is not the true Chi com rifle like the QZB-95 is its .223 caliber not 5.8mm and uses AR mags instead or AK style mags the 95 has.

Its rather cheap and not as good as some other foreign designs like the SiG-552 Arsenal AK-74 and AUG are. If the ban died I want a semi-auto AN-94. Caseless @ Lance. It is QBZ, not QZB. QBZ literally stands for Light Infantry Family(of weapons) in Chinese. You also seem to think if someone wants a certain gun, he is striving for the best gun he can get his hands on. Whatever happened to “variety,” the spice of life? 🙂 There’s no need to flaunt your firearms knowledge over QBZ Type-95 or Type-97, some of us are already intimately familiar with the specs of most interesting infantry weapons. Such as the hyper burst cyclic rate of the AN-94 and HK G11. Lance @Caseless Type-95 or QZB QBZ or what ever the Commies want to name it is not that awesome of a firearm has awkward controls and a carry Handel which raises the sights alot farther than a western made weapon dose. The fact you cant get 5.8 Chicom ammo out of China makes the gun worthless.

A AN-94 fire plentiful 5.45 ammo and uses same accessories as the AK-74 so alot more sense to get one. W i agree in maintaining a ban on Chinese firearms imports, though believe the restrictions on Russian firearms should be rescinded. My justification? I would rather do business with the Russians than the Chinese. Besides that point, I have immense respect for Russia’s military technology and weaponry…particularly small arms. Ajay I’m Canadian and I love my Norinco M14, how can you not love an M14 for under $400? Or a 1911 for $300, another good one is the Sig 226 clone by Norinco for $349. kellyman17 the japanese shotguns would be miroku, and some browning shotguns also JoseyWales Would I be mistaken to believe the Italian imports of pistols to include the black powder versions produced by Uberti, Pietta, etc. in addition to Beretta and Stoeger? extremepolymer The spanish gun manufacturers Star & Astra disapeared more than ten years ago!

The only gun manufacturer alive in spain is called “SPS” and the volume of guns is near to their capacity. BBC NEWS | Europe | Who makes the world's guns? Printable version Who makes the world's guns? The global trade in small arms is big business - 1,250 companies in at least 92 countries produce weapons, parts or ammunition. But who are the big players? ARMALITE Makers of the M4 and M16 assault rifles, which are popular with the US armed forces and soldiers from many other nations. The design was quickly bought by Colt. Armalite weapons were also popular with the IRA, hence the republicans' long-time policy of the "Armalite and the ballot box", meaning employing both military and political strategies. BERETTA The Italian company, which dates back to 1526, employs 2,700 people worldwide and has an annual turnover of 400 million euros. The firm produce about 1,500 guns a day, ranging from shotguns to assault rifles and semi-automatic pistols. Beretta exports to 100 countries and the United States - where they have their own factory - is by far the largest market.

A Beretta 9mm pistol is believed to have been used to kill Jill Dando One of Beretta's most famous guns is the Model 92 9mm pistol, as seen in both the Lethal Weapon and Die Hard action movies. The company also supplies police forces and armies all over the world, including France, Italy, Turkey and the US. But Beretta weapons have also been a weapon of choice for criminals. In August 2004 a Beretta pistol was used by a Nottingham gang to kill John and Joan Stirland at their home in Trusthorpe, Lincolnshire. In September 2007 a similar gun was brandished by an armed robber who was shot dead by police in Chandler's Ford, Hampshire. BROWNING FABRIQUE NATIONAL The name of Browning has long been synonymous with firearms. The Browning family were of stout Utah Mormon stock and supplied frontiersmen all across what was then the Wild West. Browning began filing patents in 1878 and later went into partnership with the Fabrique Nationale (FN) arms company in Belgium. In 1977 FN bought the Browning Arms Company, but they continue to use the brand.

Browning's main claim to fame is the invention of the 9mm Hi-Power semi-automatic pistol made by FN, of which more than 10 million have been manufactured since 1934. One of the most popular military pistols, it is used by British forces, who know it as the L9. In 2006 the company also obtained the rights to the Winchester brand of rifles. COLT Colt has sold 30 million firearms since 1836, when 22-year-old Sam Colt won his first patent for a revolver. Train robber Jesse James was rather fond of using a Colt .45 in his escapades. The company has been responsible for a wide variety of weapons, from the famous percussion Colt Dragoon revolver, through the Colt 1911 automatic - developed with Browning - to the M16 rifle developed by Eugene Stoner at Armalite, and latterly the M4 carbine, an assault rifle popular with the US military and widely used in Iraq. A detective holds up a Colt revolver at music mogul Phil Spector's trial But in recent years the company, based in Connecticut, has undergone lean years with boardroom turmoil and a damaging strike by workers demanding better pay.

Part of the problem was its attempts, in the mid-1990s, to come up with a gun that would be impossible to use by unauthorised people - such as children or someone who had stolen it. The plan backfired and lost it many friends in the powerful gun lobby in the US. A Colt Cobra revolver was at the centre of the recent trial of music mogul Phil Spector. GLOCK The Austrian company was founded in 1963, by Gaston Glock, an engineer who originally manufactured curtain rods. Glock weapons rapidly built up a reputation for ruggedness and reliability the company now sells about 2.5 million firearms annually. Among its biggest customers are law enforcement agencies around the world, including the FBI and several British police forces. It was one of the Metropolitan Police's Glock 17 pistols that fired the bullets that killed Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell station in south London on 22 July 2005. HECKLER & KOCH Heckler & Koch is a German company whose products are nowadays synonymous with law enforcement. All of Scotland Yard's Armed Response Units are equipped with Heckler & Koch MP5 or G36 carbines, as well as Glock 17s.

The Heckler & Koch MP5 was good enough for the SAS in 1980 The company was founded in Oberndorf, Germany, by Edmund Heckler and Theodor Koch in 1948 and is therefore free of associations with the Nazi regime. Its big break came eight years later when it won the tender to make the first infantry rifle for the new West German army, the Bundeswehr. The company went from strength to strength and was owned, between 1991 and 2002, by British Aerospace. In 1980 the SAS used Heckler & Koch MP5 carbines when they brought to an end the Iranian embassy siege in London. ISRAEL MILITARY INDUSTRIES Makers of the Uzi submachine gun, which was invented in 1948 by Maj Uziel Gal, an Israeli Defence Force officer who died in 2002. They were used to great effect in the Arab-Israeli War and subsequent conflicts and were also manufactured under licence in Germany, Belgium and the US. The Uzi was popular with the US secret service and was used to defend President Reagan when he was shot in 1981.

The gun, which fires 9mm rounds, later became one of Israel's most popular exports. Two million have been sold to security forces, but many have also fallen into the hands of criminals. Thankfully Uzis are very rare on British streets. The only murders known to have been committed with one were the killing of two brothers in Lincoln in 2001. IZHMASH An Indian Army officer examines AK-47 assault rifles seized during the 1990s Izhmash was founded in 1807 in the town of Izhevsk by the Russian Tsar Alexander I and has produced a variety of weapons under various names. Its most famous product is the AK series of rifles, the first of which was the AK-47, the latest being the AK-74 and the 100 series. It was developed in 1947 by Soviet Lt Gen Mikhail Kalashnikov, and soon became one of the most widespread weapons of the modern era. Apart from the Red Army and other Warsaw Pact countries, customers included guerrilla groups all over the world.

AK series rifles are still made at the Izhevsk works in Russia and manufactured in many countries, including Bulgaria, China, Romania, Albania, North Korea and Iraq. They are rarely seen on the streets of Britain but in October 2003 Glasgow-born gangster Dave King was gunned down in a gym in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, by two men armed with an AK-47 assault rifle. Other gun brands made in Izhevsk include the Makarov, Tokarev and Baikal. Many British police officers have flagged up concerns about Baikal gas pistols, which have increasingly been converted and imported into Britain. REMINGTON The eccentrically named Eliphalet Remington founded the company in New York in 1816 and it is one of the most established gunmakers in the world. In recent years the company has concentrated on shotguns and rifles. It stopped making handguns altogether in 1998. Earlier this year the company was sold to a private equity firm in a deal worth $118m (ï¿½56.5m). The new owners are based in Madison, North Carolina, while the Remington factory is based in Ilion in upstate New York.

The gunmakers sold off their Remington electric shaver business in 1979 and nowadays there are no connections between the namesakes. SIG SAUER In 1972 the German company Sauer & Sohn entered into a collaborative venture with the Swiss firm SIG Arms to form Sig Sauer, although both trade names remain. Sig began as a small gun manufacturer in Switzerland in the middle of the 19th Century. Its reputation has grown, especially since World War II, and its handguns are now used by a number of elite forces, including the SAS, the British Army and the US Coastguard. In the 1980s the company made it big by when it broke into the US market. It now has a separate US arm, Sigarms, based in New Hampshire, which imports Sig Sauer weapons. WALTHER The Walther PPK was immortalised by James Bond Carl Walther Sportswaffen, to give the company its full title, was founded in 1886 and is based in the small German town of Arnsberg. By far its most famous product is the Walther PPK, which was originally developed in the 1930s.

Legend has it that Hitler used his own PPK to kill himself in his bunker. The PPK, which stands for Polizeipistole Kriminalmodell (Police Pistol Detective Model), has been updated over the years and remains popular. Its most famous owner is 007 James Bond. SMITH & WESSON The Massachusetts-based corporation is the largest manufacturer in the US and is one of the most famous names in gunmaking. Smith & Wesson was founded in 1852 by Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson and when the American Civil War came along 10 years later it turned the company into a major manufacturer. In 1964 the Wesson family lost control of the firm and it passed through a number of corporate hands before being sold to the Saf-T-Hammer Corporation in 2001. The company's most famous models are the Model 29 .44 Magnum - made famous by Clint Eastwood in the Dirty Harry movies of the 1970s - and revolvers chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge.

The Smith & Wesson Model 10 firearm - which fires .38 Special ammunition - is the only handgun in the world to have been in continuous production since it was introduced in 1899, with six million produced. It was popular for many years with law enforcement, but has been gradually superseded by the Glock 17. OTHER MAKES Less well known manufacturers include China's Norinco, Zastava from Serbia and Taurus, which is based in Brazil. Norinco (China North Industries Limited) mass produces tens of thousands of cheap pistols for export. Other brands are Spain's Astra, CZ from the Czech Republic, MKE of Turkey and Miroku, based in Japan. Glock pistols are the overlooked weapon in American mass shootings | VICE News Glock pistols are the overlooked weapon in American mass shootings Photo by Ralph Freso/Reuters By Francisco Alvarado June 21, 2016 | 8:18 pm When Omar Mateen burst into Pulse nightclub in Orlando on June 12 and opened fire on the crowd, killing 49 people and wounding 53 others, he was armed with two guns.

But in the aftermath of the attack, only one of the weapons became the subject of intense scrutiny. Most of the attention has focused on Mateen's semi-automatic .223-caliber Sig Sauer MCX , which is modeled after the AR-15 assault rifle. The fact that similar weapons were used during several recent mass shootings — including the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, the movie theater rampage in Aurora, Colorado that same year, and the 2015 attack in San Bernardino, California — led to a renewed push for an assault weapons ban, and prompted many reports about how easily AR-15s can be purchased in Florida. But Mateen was also carrying a Glock, a brand of firearm that has been used nearly as often as assault rifles to commit mass murder. Related: AR-15s are big business in Florida — and remarkably easy to get A list of mass shootings between April 1999 and January 2013 prepared for lawmakers in Connecticut showed that rifles were used in 10 incidents and shotguns in 10 others, while handguns were used in 42. Glock brand pistols turned up in nine of those cases.

Another compendium of mass shootings since 2009 by the New York Times showed that handguns were used in 13 incidents, compared to five in which a rifle was the primary weapon. Glocks were recovered from six of the perpetrators. Mateen, who worked nine years for the security firm G4S, used a Glock 17, a model that is commonly issued to military personnel, police officers, and private security guards, said David VanDriel, co-founder of Miami-based Direct Action 1ndustries, a company that provides defense training to law enforcement officers and civilians. He said the weapons are marketed for their durability, safety features, and efficiency. "The Glock 17 is extremely reliable," VanDriel said. "It doesn't require a whole lot of maintenance time." Suleiman Yousef, a bodyguard, firearms instructor, and bail bondsman from Miami, told VICE News that the Glock 17 is one of the Austrian gunmaker's best-selling semi-automatic pistols . It's affordable — usually selling for about $500 — and it uses 9mm bullets, a type of ammunition that is produced in high volume.

"You can go to any country in the world and find Glocks and Glock parts," Yousef said. "I'm going to Mexico and Brazil in July for work. When I get to both places, I'll have a Glock waiting for me." Related: DOJ releases uncensored transcript of Omar Mateen's 911 call during the Orlando shooting Originally designed for the Austrian army following World War II by company founder Gaston Glock, the Glock 17 entered American police service in the mid-1980s following a series of incidents that left cops feeling outgunned by criminals, including a 1986 FBI shootout with heavily armed bank robbers in Miami, Florida, that left two agents dead. Today, Glock makes "pistols available for every man and woman, for every application and every hand size," according to a company promo video . The earliest known case of a Glock being used in a mass shooting came in 1991, when unemployed merchant mariner George Jo Hennard drove his pick-up truck through the plate-glass window of Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas.

Hennard exited his vehicle and methodically fired two pistols, including a Glock 17, at restaurant patrons, killing 24 and injuring 27. In the last nine years, Glocks have figured prominently in at least five mass shootings. In 2007, Seung-Hui Cho, a senior at Virginia Tech University, used a Glock 19 and Walther P22 to kill 32 people and wound 17 others in two separate attacks on campus. The Glock 19 is a smaller pistol that is easier to conceal. Three years later, Jared Lee Loughner used a Glock 19 to shoot 20 people in Arizona, gravely wounding US Representative Gabrielle Giffords and killing six others, including a nine-year-old girl. In 2013, Pedro Vargas went on a shooting rampage inside his apartment complex in Hialeah, Florida. With his Glock 17 , Vargas murdered six people and held two neighbors hostage during an eight-hour stand-off until a SWAT team stormed the building and killed him.

On June 17, 2015, Dylann Roof killed nine people with a .45-caliber Glock pistol at a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina. Two months later, Vester Lee Flanagan II shot and killed a Roanoke, Virginia, television reporter and a cameraman with a Glock 19 during a live news broadcast. Based on recent history, it doesn't make a difference if a mass shooter is using a rifle or handgun, VanDriel said. "You can cause severe damage with any kind of gun," he said. "I would imagine [Mateen] knew how to operate the weapons he was carrying." Related: The Supreme Court just cleared the way for more assault rifle bans Mateen bought his Sig Sauer at a gun shop near his home in St. Lucie, Florida, on June 4, and returned the following day to purchase the Glock. He came back a third time on June 9 to buy magazines for both weapons. The sales went through despite Mateen's name being included on two federal watch lists for suspected terrorists. Legislation to block gun sales to people on those lists was voted down in the Senate on Monday, along with three other gun control measures.

In the wake of the Orlando mass shooting, VanDriel expects there will be another dramatic increase in Floridians seeking to obtain concealed weapons permits and buy guns. As of April, about 1.6 million Floridians have the permits. But while VanDriel is all for citizens arming themselves for protection, he believes that most people who buy guns do not properly train themselves to react in life-and-death situations. Going to the range for target practice does not cut it, he added. "People's biggest mistake is they do the initial training and then they stop," he said. "You need to train in a stressful environment so you don't make a mistake." Follow Francisco Alvarado on Twitter: @thefrankness Watch the VICE News dispatch After Orlando: Gun Shop Vienna Austria | Glock, designed for Austrian army, taken up by police and criminals - tribunedigital-baltimoresun Glock, designed for Austrian army, taken up by police and criminals April 10, 1994|By Dan Fesperman | Dan Fesperman,Sun Staff Correspondent VIENNA, Austria -- When fear stalks the streets of Vienna, Bernhard Lampl's little gun shop is there to calm frazzled nerves.

His offerings include the Glock 17, the locally made semiautomatic handgun that is light, durable, easy to operate and fits nicely into just about any bedside table. Mr. Lampl will gladly sell one to any Austrian adult. After a five-week wait, of course. Provided the customer doesn't have a criminal record. Limit: two per person. And unless the buyer already owns two handguns, in which case, he has to trade one in for every Glock. "It is a problem for us," Mr. Lampl says of Austria's restrictions on buying handguns. Another problem might be that fear hardly ever stalks the streets of Vienna. Although Austrians have grown anxious about foreigners who've moved here since the fall of the Iron Curtain ("Most of the crime is committed by foreigners," Mr. Lampl says), by U.S. standards violent crime is nonexistent. There were 45 murders involving handguns in this country of 7.5 million people in 1992, and 138 armed robberies. Baltimore racks up similar numbers in about a month and a half. With this weak market for personal gun sales in Austria, Glock does virtually no advertising in its home country.

In fact, Glock does "almost zero advertising outside the United States," says company marketing director Peter Brock. In the United States, publicity and notoriety have helped put the Glock 17 on the top 10 list of firearms most often traced after use in crimes, according to federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Glock, based just northeast of Vienna in Deutsch-Wagram, began in 1982 with a single mission -- to make a strong, lightweight handgun for the Austrian army. The resulting gun was the Glock 17, and it won so many rave reviews that other armies and police departments ordered thousands more. Glock expanded, so that in the United States alone about 4,000 police departments are now armed by Glock. The company builds nine models of plastic semiautomatic handguns in Austria. But Glock wouldn't have become one of the the world's three leading handgun manufacturers without branching into the lucrative consumer market in the United States. With U.S. gun laws far less restrictive than those in Austria and the rest of Europe, Glock's sales curve has risen as U.S. crime rates have climbed. One can chart Glock's sales only in general terms, because the company won't release any numbers. Mr.

Brock cites "competitive reasons" for the secrecy, but the company is also squeamish about publicity that demonstrates the popularity of Glock guns with criminals. Mr. Brock asked an interviewer "to not bring us into connection with any bad things which we don't have anything to do with." He added, "As long as you offer any gun to the commercial market, we as a manufacturer cannot have 100 percent control over who will use it." One way would be to stop selling except to police departments and armies. "We would like to do this," Mr. Brock says, "but it is not commercially possible. . . . If you sell to the Dutch army, that's it for 30 years for that customer. "People always look at what the police carry," he says. "They reason, 'If the gun is good enough for the sheriff, then it is good enough for me.' " Free publicity also helps. Mr. Brock has two thick green binders filled with recent stories in international gun magazines about various Glock products. A British magazine, Guns and Shooting, offered a cover story about the Glock 20, headlined, "Plastic Fantastic!" Glock also advertises in these magazines, almost exclusively in the United States.

The only way to find a Glock ad in Mr. Lampl's Vienna gun shop is to look into some of the U.S. gun magazines for sale by the cash register. Five of the eight magazines offered, including Guns and Ammo, are American. Movies also boost Glock sales, especially when a Glock gun has a prominent supporting role. Mr. Brock saw a Glock when he went to see "The Fugitive," and he knew sales would benefit. "Of course I am glad when I see this," he says. "But they have chosen it freely themselves. Glock has never paid. And again, it is out of our control whether they use it for the good guy or the bad guy." Mr. Brock doesn't believe his country's lower crime rates are related to lower gun sales. The statistical relationship is similar in the rest of Europe, where tighter gun control laws have resulted in few people owning handguns, and murders by handgun are almost unheard of. But Mr. Brock says it would be absurd to blame rising gun sales for rising crime rates in the United States. "The crime wouldn't be going down if we were selling fewer guns," he says.

"The criminals will always have guns, and it is not right to take them away from good people." MORE:

Question: The Glock gun is a noted export of what country?
Answer: Austria